Red Sonja: The Crimson Djinn
by Incredibleintruder
Summary: As Red Sonja takes on a mission in a far away land, to help a stranger with troubles in his own country, a sinister and downright unexpected change arrives upon the fearsome woman...


Red Sonja: The Crimson Djinn

She was drinking.

After one more day of merely travelling until she got caught up in yet another adventure, a new intrigue to partake of, Sonja needed the soothing and comforting presence of mead within her stomach. Having vanquished more rogues and cutthroats than she deemed necessary, this was the moment where she kicked back and enjoyed herself, some respite until the next conflict or problem would find its way to her. She loved her life, of course, but it was all a question of balance as she downed yet another mug of this strong beverage as she demanded another along with some meat and bread. Her purse was fat, her desires were clear, nothing was wrong so far.

"Excuse me, missy..."

And there it went again. More trouble. Turning around, she saw a bunch of dirty men, each garbed in armor that had been quite obviously looted from their latest victim, caked in blood and not matching the rest of their garments in any way. They were also all armed, ready to fight, as many of the patrons were wary, or downright scared, about this bunch of five would-be rogues.

"Seems to me like you've got a lot o' coins here. Gimme that and nobody needs to be hurt."

The man who talked, bearded, a little fat and repugnant, was also the tallest and largest of the bunch, brandishing a large axe on his back as he looked at Sonja with an eye that indicated that he certainly would not stop with her purse if he had any say in it.

"Boss, boss! This here is Red Sonja! I know her! I seen her beat down a man with a stool because he pissed her off!"

The excitation of the other diminutive sidekick did give Sonja a smile as her reputation was indeed getting bigger and better. She remembered the part with the stool quite well, as one man had decided to mess up with maidens in a tavern...and then discovered that Sonja was no maiden. Not by a long shot.

"Henrir, you bastard! That's not Red Sonja!" the boss proclaimed, almost insulted by the remarks of his companion as he pointed at Sonja crudely. "Red Sonja wears close to nothing at all, a chainmail 'bee-ki-nih" they say. This woman here has chain and leather and is actually dressed. No way is this bitch Red Sonja!"

"I stopped wearing that after I got rashes while walking in a swamp. Leeches sucks," Sonja replied directly, already annoyed by this interruption of her good times.

"So you be Red Sonja then? And I'm Conan of Cimmeria!" the boss loudly said, his laughter filling the room as the discomfort of the other patrons was made quite clear. With this establishment cut off from the rest of the world, settled along a road that passed through a forest, no guards would be coming and thus it came to Sonja to perhaps deal with that. "So if I beat you here and now, you'll becomine mine forever, eh? You'll give me all the love I need?"

"I stopped doing that too," Sonja responded, inspecting her empty mug for a few seconds. "I'd never get laid if I went along with that for too long, as nobody ever beat me in a fight."

Another case of laughter, this time from the leader and his four sidekicks, which was promptly stopped as Sonja used her mug as a makeshift weapon, crashing it on the boss face. Rendering him dizzy by that surprise shot, she then smirked as she got up from her stool, then brandished it as another tool to beat down these fools. This was a tavern and she would not sully the place with guts and blood today. That, and that moment where she had beaten this silly man in the past with the same thing she brandished made her feel nostalgic.

The others, even without their leader, were no craven that would run down from a fight. Their honor being sullied, they demanded for battle, even though their vision of honor seemingly had place for four-against-one as a decidedly decent tactic. It amounted to nothing, however, as Sonja picked the stool with both hands, lifting it above her head before it then crashed on another of those ruffians head, putting him down for the count. The other three then bum-rushed her, setting her against the counter at which she was drinking. Had they been better-coordinated, this might have been a really good approach...Yet one of them was too eager and so he received a powerful hit to the stomach, cutting off his air as she kicked him against another before swinging the stool against the third one's face, shattering her seat while doing so.

With the other two left in a vulnerable position, she then went on to decisively jump atop one of them to punch him down again and again, leaving him stone cold on the floor. The other one, whose damage had only been to receive his other friend as he was being pushed, looked at his sword and then at Sonja as he simply let it drop to the floor. "Feck this, mate. I ain't fighting against no Red Sonja anymore."

"Then you'll get those four out...but you'll also empty their pocket for me and for the innskeeper here. For the stool," Sonja explained leaving him to it as she pulled another stool, ordering chicken and mead as if nothing had happened. Her knuckles a little bloody and the floor stained with sweat and spilled mead, she wanted to get smashingly drunk right now, if only to continue on this high that she was now riding. Doing as she said, the lone rogue carried off his companions one by one, not helped by anybody else in his task as he cut of the purse of the other four, including his own. With that ruckus done, Sonja bit down on some tender chicken, on the house, as she downed another mug of mead as if nothing had happened.

"So you really are Red Sonja," a man said, getting near her as it was obvious from his looks, his garments and his accent that he was coming from far, far away. His skin was of bronze, deep and nuanced, his garments were ample beneath a thick leather armor which he hadn't relieved himself of even though he was in an establishment for rest and amusement. At his waist, a strange curved sword could be found, one that Sonja had never seen prior to today as he approached in a careful, yet somewhat friendly manner. "My name is Hakim. It is a pleasure to meet you."

He was polite and seemingly a little more educated judging by his manners, yet Sonja was still a little wary after such a fight as she chomped down on her food before replying, opting to get some strength back in her if there was to be another round of fisticuff and other violent activities. "I suppose you want something from me, Hakim?"

"Well, I would have battled you for the privilege of asking for a favour..." Hakim said jokingly, sitting down near her, yet giving her ample space all the same as he ordered some mead for himself. "But it seems like you don't really do that any longer."

"Look, if you want to fuck, you could always just ask. You're not that bad-looking and I might be interested, provided you're not a stupid little man like those five a few minutes ago," Sonja replied directly, not mincing her words as she finished her chicken only to attack a loaf of bread now.

A little flustered by such an answer, Hakim cleared his throat as he then tried to explain himself a little better. "No no no...While the offer is certainly very tempting, I am here because I need a strong warrior's help. Back in my country, we have some thieves that are very well organized and we could use some assistance in getting rid of them," he described, drinking up his own mead at a leisurely pace when compared to Sonja who seemed to gobble it up as if it was water. "However, I got the story wrong, a mistake that is common in my life, as I thought that you'd only help those who could beat you in a fight."

"That silly notion will never leave my side, it seems," Sonja muttered, turning around to look at Hakim. "If you pay me well, I'll go help you, Hakim. Just how far is it anyway?"

"I've travelled miles upon miles for more than ten days to reach this place, atop the fastest horse in my lord's stables. He told me not to get back until I had a suitable candidate for the job," Hakim continued, finishing up his mead as he placed some coins on the counter. "I am known to be the best fighter in my homeland...and yet I know that I could never beat you fairly. If you can do with a sword what you just did with a mere stool, then we are in need of your assistance. Would you come with me to my land and help me in this task, Red Sonja?"

A little drunk, the effect of all that mead ganging up on her system, she couldn't see a reason to refuse. It seemed like another fine adventure, in a place that she didn't know, fighting people she had never met before. "Sure," was all that she said before ordering another mead...Then another...With the rest of the evening spent in conversation that she couldn't quite remember the day after as they both rode toward their destination. The trek was a long affair, with plenty of checkpoints and camps made along the road as they made good progress according to Hakim, who was decidedly a silent companion when not drinking. It seemed like he was a stoic one when on duty, which suited Sonja just fine as she wasn't exactly a conversationalist herself...except when the mead was especially good, and even then.

They did, of course, got the happy little surprise of brigands and thieves on the road, fools that did not quite know who they were messing with. No matter how large a reputation she had gained, it seemed that none really had wind of it until it was too late, resulting in fights that were always in her favour due to the element of surprise being on her side. Perhaps if she was to actually wear that special chainmail outfit, which offered no protection whatsoever, people would recognize her? In any case, those fights, with Hakim supporting her with this sword which he called a "see-mee-tar", were easy as she could see that he was an adept fighter like he had told her at the inn. The battles were not aplenty, yet they were memorable if only to look at Hakim's much more acrobatic fighting style as Sonja was indeed impressed. She could certainly take him, yet he wasn't bad at all.

Eventually, at the half of their journey, according to Hakim at the very least, they set up camp as they harbored the edge of a large desert, one that had claimed many lives due to the dry heat and the lack of preparations from idiot travellers. With the tent set up and the fire crackling up, Sonja went on to bring back some game for them to eat, a deer that had ventured perhaps a little too far for food. Hakim, meanwhile, had set up this thing called a "hew-ka", a contraption made to breathe in smoke and incense, yet perfumed with flowers and fruits in a way that was easily addictive. She had tried it and found it rather easy to like, as opposed to tobacco and pipes that were just nasty in their odor and texture. Putting the deer on the ground, she then approached the object as she picked up a pipe, with Hakim still busy with polishing and sharpening his sword.

"It's ready should you want to go ahead with it. I was waiting for the water inside to boil and it's good to go," he said with a smile, taking out a little knife as he went on to cut up the meat that they would later eat. With Sonja obliging him, she took out one of the pipe and began to inhale some smoke like he had shown her, ready to be bombarded with the sublte scent and flavor that Hakim knew how to manage...Yet all that resulted was a slight daze as her lips seemed to lock themselves on the pipe, the smoke going on to almost invade her lungs at this point.

"I'm quite sorry, Sonja...But I had to do this. You are much too magnificent a warrior and a woman to let yourself wander off like this without purpose and goals. As such, it was necessary to plan for this..." Hakim said, stopping his fake activity as he got closer to Sonja, observing her as he sat down before her. "You see, there is a legend in my land that tells of wonderful creatures, powerful beings known as djinns. In old tales, they were protectors and servants, guardians of their masters as they used their might to obey them. Ancient texts describe them as subservient, entrapped within rings, bottles and lamps and that the one who held one such item would be the master of the djinn found inside."

She only half-listened to what he was saying as the smoke kept on filling her. The fruity flavour, combined with a heavy narcotic sensation, was also coupled with some kind of effect that made her feel dizzy...yet also content. He was talking about capturing and enslaving her, but the sensation of what she inhaled felt so inherently nice that it almost seemed okay. This fight being mental instead of physical, it proved to be much more difficult to resist and to hit back as the constant smoke, the unnatural amount of it, made it so Sonja felt like her stomach was bursting, her lungs stretching out and that her head was being filled with the unique incense within. Groggy, as if drunk yet in an altogether pleasant way, her body relaxed as she kept on getting this mixture inside of her body, making it glow with a certain aura that was starting to appear around her.

"This hookah and the mixture within was passed on by my ancestors, who said that only the worthwhile could be changed by its effects...And it was clear the moment I saw you that you were righteous and prime-material to become a mighty djinn," Hakim said, taking out a brass lamp from his belongings as well as another pipe to connect to the hookah. Lodging the pipe on a specific spot, he resumed his explanation while he did this as he watched the strong Sonja being caught in the spell of this ancient artifact. "This hookah could transform people into djinns, changing their behaviour and their appearance in the process. It has not been used in a very, very long time and it's quite amazing to see that it chose you...I tried with some people, yet to no avail, sadly enough."

She wasn't even listening any longer, dazed and happy as she smiled while her eyes emptied themselves of any particular sign of intelligence. The contrast between the headstrong and mighty Sonja was sharp when compared with this vulnerable and enthralled version of her. Unresponsive, too absorbed by this constant smoke being poured inside her very being, into her soul itself, she gave no answer nor betrayed any body language that she understood a single word that he said.

Eventually, Hakim had connected the pipe to the hookah as he himself began to inhale, giving way to a strong suction as Sonja was beginning to slowly melt and evaporate, turning into a half-smoke version of herself as she got sucked in head first into the pipe she was smoking. Her body getting thin to an insane degree, it did so progressively as her head and face vanished inside the pipe and into the tube, giving way to a red mist within it. Her neck and her shoulders followed as her clothing vanished now, leaving her nude while her scars and her musculature, along with her beauty, were there for Hakim to appreciate. Too busy in his task, however, he merely kept on sucking as her torso and her arms began to get smaller and into vapors, absorbed within the hookah as it was followed by her belly, hips and waist. Her legs standing up as if animated by another will, she was literally half the woman she used to be as her thighs went on to get inhaled by the artifact until finally her feet left the ground and were absorbed by the hookah. With Sonja now being gone, the only thing left of her was this thick red mist that could be found.

Feeling perhaps a little bit guilty about what he had done, Hakim knew that it was for the best as he went on to eat and then sleep, letting Sonja stay in the hookah, the legends telling that the powers that be had to magnify her essence in order to turn whoever was trapped within into a djinn. Those were old tales, obviously, yet they were true as judged by this success over this mighty warrior. Getting some rest, there was still the trek in the middle of the desert to survive through until his mission would be over with...

For Sonja, though, the daze continued until it was finally over and she snapped out of it. Left naked, she was in a bizarre room with plenty of eccentric-looking furnitures, gold, purple and various trails of silk adorning near-everything as she got up and walked toward an open window to observe just where she was. Finding the sight of a city in the sky, with the sky being shades of pink, grey and green being too weird for her to contend with, she began to think about how she might have landed here and why. She hadn't taken any mead in days, so drunk stupor wasn't exactly a possibility here...Where was she?

"You're in the djinn realm, mortal. You're one of the first of your kind to travel here in ages," a voice from afar told her, until the source of it revealed itself to be a young woman dressed like a dancer, like a harem whore. Blonde, fair of skin, clad in pink and adorning a great many number of gold accessories and jewelry on her person, she approached with an almost serene attitude toward the naked warrior. "Do you remember how you got here, by any chance?"

She didn't. Despite her best efforts, Sonja couldn't think back on what had happened that she landed in this bizarre city. A little troubled by this, the blonde woman went on to get even closer as she placed a hand on Sonja's forehead, not bothering to ask for permission to perform such an act. "Let's refresh your memory, then."

And then it all came back. The hookah, Hakim's treachery, the absolute bliss of the smoke, her inherent transformation into mist...she had been transported here against her will as she began to get angry, furious even. However, she was calmed down by the blonde as she placed a hand on her shoulder.

"It seems to me that this evil artifact is still very much intact...And that it led you here so that you might become a djinn like me, albeit one that will be subservient to masters, be they evil or benevolent. A sad fate," she explained, having read the content of Sonja's mind while she had unlocked everything. "Your destiny, it seems, is to become a slave when you return, as you inevitably will. Your soul and spirit will evolve here while your mortal shell will stay on the other plane of existence, tethering you there so that this man can trap you and bind you in chains of submission and devotion."

"There must be something that can be done. Tell me that I can fight this!" Sonja said, the idea of her legend dying right here and then as she'd become a servant being too ridiculous for her to contend with. "There must be some way..."

"As a matter of fact, there is. An oath can be taken here so that your resolve will be attuned to a different demand than those of slavery. You will have a divine mission and, once you complete it, you might get a shot at freedom...Or something similar. It's your only chance," she explained to Sonja, her stare getting specifically set on the mortal's body as her eyes told of a story that the warrior wasn't quite certain that she wanted to hear.

She was changing already. Her nakedness was getting covered as the infamous chainmail bikini made its appearance, covering her chest barely as well as her crotch. Beneath the bottom part, a red sirwal covered her thighs and upper legs as the metal on her chainmail turned to gold. Earrings, wristguards and a golden choker went on to appear as she began to immensely like this, a reaction that she was unprepared for as she knew that those were unnatural, yet irresistible thoughts.

"It seems like you have no time to properly decide or adapt. You must take on my mission. If you do this, I myself will grant you a boon, however limited it might be," the djinn said, her own tone seemingly getting a touch desperate as her serenity and calm attitude vanished.

"And what would be the mission?" Sonja said with some difficulty, her own voice changing slightly as she struggled to keep her own personality intact.

"You must destroy the hookah. You mustn't let its evil spread and entrap more mortals and djinns alike. If you destroy it, my power will help you," she explained, looking at Sonja as her spirit was beginning to warp piece by piece, her legs already gone. "Swear it to me on my name, and I will do all that I can for you! Swear it on the name of Eben."

"I swear to destroy this hookah, Eben. On my name, I swear it."

And then she was gone, her visit of the djinn realm being especially short. On the mortal realm which she ailed from, however, a whole night had passed as Hakim went on to plug the pipe which Sonja had smoked from into the brass lamp. With the red mist being especially thick now, he had a hunch that she was ready as he blew from his own pipe, pushing the red mist into the lamp as it began to change in appearance. Its cheap look was then flared up by gold, shining and splendid, along with rubies to truly give it a look of luxury. Judging that this meant he was successful, Hakim then packed the lamp inside his belongings along with the tent and the hookah, then proceeded to cross the desert. With enough water for two, as per the subterfuge to make Sonja trust him, he had enough to make the journey back to the palace of his lord without any difficulty, the heat being intense yet not so much that he hadn't become accustomed to it back in the days. The temptation to use the lamp for himself was strong, yet he knew that it was to be a present to his lord so that he may use it wisely, to protect his people and to give back the strength needed that their nation may rise above others. With a djinn at their side, they would become the splendor they were always meant to be as these thoughts fuelled Hakim's long trek, giving him courage to face the loneliness in this journey across the dunes.

Eventually, he reached the city that he had left a while ago as he was escorted by guards toward the palace of his lord, where he received an audience near-immediately. Being fed, washed and given plenty to drink, he was greeted as a hero due to his reports of success on his mission. After getting the rest and respite he sorely needed, he then looked at the Sultan who sat on the throne, anxious to hear further reports of his journey. "I have completed this holy mission, my lord. I have found the one being who could become a djinn and help our people with her power and her vivacity."

"Her? You mean this djinn is a woman?" the sultan remarked, cocking an eyebrow before showing a little smile on his bearded face. They all knew the rumors of djinn women being exquisite to look upon, which was only fuelled by various depictions and tales of old that had been deformed with age. "And who might she be?"

"It is Red Sonja, a warrior-woman of great renown in many lands, an unbeaten fighter who, I have seen with my own eyes, make her legend seem paltry when compared with the truth of her accomplishments," Hakin said, going for a grandiloquent parabole instead of a simple telling. It was the moment where he could shine, where his words would become history, his name being forever engraved in the steps of mythology. "I have travelled with her and made her partake of the magic hookah which you blessed me with, great one. She is now a captive of this lamp, ready to become a slave to any master who would claim her."

With the Sultan taking the lamp into his possession, he observed it as he knew what he had to do: rub it. Without further ado, he placed his palm against the smooth surface of the object as he stroked it back and forth, making it glow and shake as the djinn within was unleashed. Her red hair was no longer messy due to all the travels she had carried on through, now silky and smooth in its appearance. Her skin, while still full of scars and showcasing her muscle, was now flawless in an ethereal way as her stomach, shoulders, cleavage and her back was bare. Her legs were nowhere to be seen, replaced by a stormy tail of red that seemed to perpetually be in motion while it was connected to the lamp itself. Clad in the ensemble that had been summoned in the djinn realm, she looked like a mixture between a dancer and the ferocious Red Sonja from the tales. More than that, there was an aura of power around her, a mystical one that supplemented the strength and might she projected in days of old. She was now a djinn and the Sultan was particularly in awe of what he witnessed before his eyes.

"You did just as you promised, Hakim. For this, you shall become my most trusted advisor, living in the palace with me. You will be showered in gold and, should you wish it, I will have one of my many daughters become your wife. You may pick whichever one you like," the Sultan said, ecstatic as his attention was away from his new djinn for a few instants, making him miss something crucial.

She felt a need to obey this man...Yet something else stirred within her soul: a promise, a pledge that she had to fulfill. Eyeing the hookah, she approached it and then summoned a thunderous sword within her hands. The notion of how to do that coming naturally, as per her many changes both mental and physical, she used her vast powers to shatter it to pieces. There had been a resistance to this action, an evil spirit within the artifact resisting, yet the new might that coursed through her veins of fire and flame did short work of that arcane bully. Content about this, she felt a connection to Eben as she spoke to Sonja through dimensions, a colossal effort as judged by the unease in the echo of her voice.

" _You have done well, mighty Sonja. The denizens of the djinn realm are grateful to you and we shall give you our help. However, it is very limited as the barriers between our dimension and this one makes any spell weak, any change fickle. I gathered as many as I could to give you assistance, but know this: we cannot change you back. It would require too much power to do so in this place. Either you stay here and live out as a djinn...Or you leave forever and rest eternally within our realm. The choice is yours."_

She had but a moment to make that decision, as the specter of submission and servitude dawned on her, making her realize that she'd have to apologize profusely to her master now. She could feel his anger, his confusion and that made her feel uneasy. However, she could not leave this alone and to spend the rest of her days in a land so alien to her held no appeal. She opt to stay, yet a stroke of genius came within her as she smiled, her idea sent silently through the communication between realms.

" _We have heard your desire and shall grant it to you. May it allow you to live out happily, Red Sonja."_

She felt a change within and through her lamp as the blessing of the djinns came to her. Smirking, she looked at the Sultan who was boiling with rage. "This shall be your last act of rebellion, foolish djinn. You are my slave and you shall do as I bid!" he screamed while rubbing the lamp anew, asserting his dominance over the situation. This, in turn, only lead Sonja to chuckle as she did not feel one ounce of desire to submit to this putrid noble.

"Haven't you heard, beardie?" she said, brandishing the sword she had summoned as she threatened him with its sharp and magical edge. "I only submit to those who can defeat me in battle..."

The new condition for her subservience being in effect, the gift from the djinns made it so she had some use for her ancient reputation as the Sultan sent his guards...then Hakim...then tried to land a blow himself in order to gain mastery over this rebellious djinn. It all availed to naught, though, as her senses were more attuned than ever, her might even greated and her reflexes supernatural as she dodged, parried and repelled every single blow sent her way. Without even using the magic which filled her body, she dominated through sheer skills alone as the vast numbers against her meant nothing. Then, as she laid victorious, she looked at Hakim, floating in place with a look of discontentment on her face.

"You betrayed me, Hakim. I believed you and you abused of my generosity and good will in order to turn me into a slave..." she said, angry as power crackled around her like a thunder storm. "Now, you will carry me with you and you will place my lamp elsewhere, so that actually worthy people...or just decent enough...might pick up my lamp in the future."

Hakim knew that he had to do as she said, or else he might not live through this day. He had gotten yet another story wrong, it seemed, as djinns were fearsome things and Red Sonja was not a woman to be triffled with. Taking the lamp, his hands shaking, he stormed off to the desert, accompanied by Sonja who floated beside him, scaring him into doing as she said.

"I will leave you to your bandits, to deal with them in your own way, you treacherous cur...If those bandits were actually real, mind you," she said, finding it within her to not want to drop any more blood for the day. "Be grateful that I don't do anything worse to you..."

In silence, Hakim made the trek, terrified of this new fearsome and mighty being that he had unleashed in this world.

Of course, the legend of Red Sonja continued for a very, very long time, her djinn powers and longevity giving way to many adventures. There were still none that could beat her and proclaim the position as her master, her strength and prowess being too great. Still, there were tales that told of how she had granted some wishes here and there, worthiness not always being measured in might and feats of battle. She was still the fearsome, heavy-drinking and reputable warrior-woman that she had always been...

But she was also a djinn, the greatest in all the realms after some time...


End file.
